An aircraft safety card is a document instructing passengers on an aircraft about the procedures for dealing with various emergency conditions that might arise while on the airplane.

The safety cards are usually provided by airlines on all commercial flights, with a card being accessible to every passenger -- usually located in the back of the seat in front of the passenger. Commonly flight attendants or in-cabin videos instruct passengers to familiarize themselves with the safety cards prior to take-off.

The cards are frequently laminated or made of plastic and contain instructions that are specific to the model of the airplane they are found in. The contents are usually in the form of pictures, graphically illustrating such procedures as buckling the seatbelts, bracing for impact in an airplane crash, dealing with depressurization , opening the emergency exit door or inflating life rafts in the event of a water landing. The graphic representation allows the cards to be accessible to those speaking a different language than the flight attendants, as well as children and illiterate passengers.

More information

• Design For Impact (2003) ISBN 1568983875 - history and examples of safety cards
• Soviet aircraft safety cards